Date-indicating device for a calendar timepiece

ABSTRACT

Date-indicating device for a calendar timepiece comprising two concentric rings, the inner ring containing tens digits and the outer ring containing units digits, both rings driven in a rotary movement only or a rotary and translatory movement by driving elements on a linkage once each 24 hours.

United States Patent [1 1 Kocher et al.

[ Dec. 18, 1973 DATE-INDICATING DEVICE FOR A CALENDAR TIMEPIECEInventors: Hans Kocher, Buren a/Aare; Peter Schmid, Diessbach, both ofSwitzerland Societe Suisse pour llndustries Horlogere ManagementServices SA, Bienne, Switzerland Filed: Jan. 30, 1973 Appl. No.: 328,122

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb 9, i972 Switzerland 1829/72 US.Cl. .l 58/58 Int. Cl. G04b 19/24 [58] Field of Search 58/4, 5,58

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,976,672 3/l96l Ducommun58/58 Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr. ArtorneyRichard K. Stevenset al.

[ 57] ABSTRACT Date-indicating device for a calendar timepiececomprising two concentric rings, the inner ring containing tens digitsand the outer ring containing units digits, both rings driven in arotary movement only or a rotary and translatory movement by drivingelements on a linkage once each 24 hours. i

12 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DATE-INDICATING DEVICE FOR A CALENDARTIMEPIECE The present invention relates to a date-indicating device fora calendar timepiece comprising two concentric indicator-rings the onebearing the units of the date, the other the tens.

As is known, the indication of the date is produced in a large number ofcalendar-watches by a ring coaxial to the movement, mounted on theplate, and bearing on 4 its upper face the dates from 1 to 3 l Theseindications appear one by one in a window of the dial. However, thismeans of indicating is generally suitable only for relatively large-sizewrist-watches. As a matter of fact, the date-ring must have a certaindiameter in order for the size of the figures to be large enough and toensure easy reading. The result is that in these known watches, thewindow is situated at the periphery of the dial, where it takes theplace of one of the hour markers. Also there are great difficulties inproducing small-size calendar-watches, especially those for ladies.

Calendar-watches are already known where it has been sought to remedythis shortcoming by placing the date indication on two concentric rings,one of them bearing the units and the other the tens. This arrangementmakes it possible to leave theperiphery of the movement free and,consequently, to place the datereading window between the center of themovement and the hour-circle. It also makes it possible to produceladies calendar-watches where the size of the figures shown is largeenough to ensure easy reading.

These known timepieces contain a mechanism which selectively actuatesone or the other of the rings, or both rings simultaneously, as the casemay be. For instance, when the outer ring bears the units from to 9, andthe inner ring bears the series of figures 0, l, 2, 3, 3, 0, l, 2, 3, 3,the inner ring must be actuated by one step every time the outer ringhas gone through a complete revolution. Moreover, when the FIG. 3 of theinner ring appears in the window, the two rings are ac tuatedsimultaneously. The result is that the mechanism which actuates theserings is relatively complicated and bulky. What is more, a correction isnecessary at the end of each month.

Because of the complexity of. these known mechanisms, they are rarely tobe found on the market, so that up to now, it has not been feasible tomake use of the advantages offered by a date-indication utilizing twoconcentric rings.

The object of the present invention is to remedy that short-coming andto propose an indicating device of the type mentioned at the beginningwhich is simple enough in its construction to be incorporated in anywatch at all.

For that purpose, the device according to the invention is characterizedin that it includes a four-joint link system comprising a first linkrotated around a fixed axis at the rate of one revolution every 24hours, and further comprising a driving plate which constitutes thesecond link and which is actuated by the first link, said second linkhaving two driving noses each cooperating with one of the rings whiledescribing a closed curve when the first link turns around its axis.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, an embodiment of themechanism according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan-view from above,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the fourjoint link systemwhich constitutes the essential part of the date-changing mechanism, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of FIG. 1.

The drawing shows a wrist-watch movement of which the plate 1 can beseen. Mounted on this plate is an assembly composed of two concentricrings 2, 3 the first provided with ten teeth 4a, 4b, etc., distributedalong its outer rim, and the second provided with eight teeth 5a, 5b,etc., distributed along its inner rim. These two rings are fitted oneinside the other so as to be able to rotate with respect to one another.They lie at the bottom of a recess 6 contrived in the upper face of theplate, around its center. As can be seen in FIG. 1, this recess has asort of curved flattened portion 6a which forms a banking, as will benoted later on. There is a crescent-shaped aperture 7 in the bottom ofrecess 6 in the vicinity of banking 6a. Indicator-rings 2 and 3 arecontinuously driven by two jumpers 8 and 9. Jumper 8 is mounted on theplate outside ring 2. It has a triangular notch 11 at the end of it andis acted upon by ajumper spring 10 in such a way that notch 11 engagesone of the teeth 4a, 4b, etc. Owing to this jumper and to jumper 9, thenotch 12 of which engages one of the teeth 5 and which is acted upon byspring 13, the assembly of the two rings is constantly maintained in aposition where one of the teeth 4 is resting against banking 6a.

Ring 2 bears on its upper face the units 14 of the date, from 0 to 9,each between two teeth 4, while the inner ring bears on its upper faceeight tens figures 15, these being in the order 0, 0, I, l, 2, 2, 3, 3.Each of these figures is situated approximately opposite one of theteeth 5.

Before going on to the date-changing mechanism, it should also bementioned that plate 1 has an arcshaped rib l6 inside recess 6. This ribis so placed as to be within toothing 5, on the same diameter as the onewhich passes through the center of banking 6a. This rib likewise forms abanking facing in the same direction as banking 6a.

The date-changing mechanism of the device de--' scribed firstly includesa 24-hour wheel 17 (FIG. 3), mounted on a fixed stud l8 projecting fromthe plate. This stud is the tangible counterpart of the point M inFIG. 1. Wheel 17 lies on an annular rib 19. It is rotated by means notshown in the drawing, in such a way as to complete one revolution every24 hours. It bears an eccentric projection 20 which is the tangiblecounterpart of the point A in FIG. I and constitutes a joint betweenwheel 17 and a second link 21. Projection 20 therefore engages in acorresponding opening of second link 21.

Second link 21 constitutes the sole member of the date-changingmechanism described here. It is a metal plate, cut out and bent, whichextends over plate 1. Its arm 22 passes under rings 2 and 3 so as to endin a flange in aperture 7. This flange extends upward so as to be ableto enter the annular space through which the points of teeth 4 travel.Plate 21 includes a widened part having a profiled opening which, inturn, has a slit 24 of uniform width extending in an arc and a widenedportion 25 through which the members bearing the hands are intended topass.

In the central portion of plate 21, near one of the ends of slit 24opposite widened portion 25, there is the circular opening for theengagement of second link 21 with projection 20. Just about opposite arm22, plate 21 also has a nose 26, folded back, which extends abovebanking 16. Second link 21 is connected to the rest of the movement by,on the one hand, the linkage with wheel 17 and, on the other hand, theengagement ofa fixed stud 27 (point M in FIG. 1), integral with theplate, in slit 24. Above second link 21, as can be seen in FIG. 3, thisstud 27' has an annular shoulder, from which there extends a pivot whichlinks jumper 9.-Thus this jumper extends above second link 21.

It will be noted that the assembly is covered by a dial 28 in whichthere is a window 29. This window, situated toward 3 oclock, is withinthe hour-circle and always allows a portion of each of the two rings 2and 3 to appear or to be exact, a tens figure of ring 3 and a unitsfigure 14 of ring 2.

To complete the description of the device and understand its operation,it is important to note as well that of the 10 teeth 4a, 4b, etc., eightare of the same length and will hereafter be called long teeth, whereastwo others are shorter. The short teeth are distributed one on each sideof one of the long teeth. They are the teeth situated between thefigures 6 and 7, on the one hand, and 8 and 9, on the other hand. As forthe teeth 5 of inner ring 3, six are short teeth, and the other two,next to one another, with one placed near one of the 0s and the otherplaced near one of the 1's, are long teeth. The length of the long teethis the same for both rings, and the same applies to the short teeth.

To understand the operation of the device described, it must be realizedthat as will be seen from FIG. 2, second link 21 constitutes a movingelement ofa plane system of links with four joints, diagrammaticallyrepresented in FIG. 2. This system includes, besides second link 21, afirst link 30, which rotates around a fixed axis M,,, and a third link31, pivoting around fixed point M and linked to second link 21 at pointB. When first link M,,A rotates around its axis M third link 31oscillates, and the second link goes through a complex translatory androtatory movement, so that its two points E and F describe the curves eand fshown in FIG. 2. It will be noted that if the first link turnsclockwise, curve e is travelled by point E in the same direction, whilecurvefis travelled by point F in a counterclockwise direction.

It is easy to see that the diagrammatical representation of FIG. 2 isequivalent to the structure shown in FIG. 1, although third link 31 isomitted and replaced by joint 27 and slit 24. Indeed, inasmuch as pointM is fixed with respect to the plate, it is obvious that the whole ofthepoints of second link 21 which may be situated above point M,, at anygiven moment when first link 30 is rotating around its axis arethemselves situated on an are drawn on second link 21 and having point Bas its center. Thus the embodiment described is indeed equivalent to thediagrammatical representation of FIG. 2.

Now to understand how the date-changing mechanism operates, we shallstart from the position shown in the drawing where the date 3" appearsin window 29. One of the long teeth 4a of toothing 4 is oriented alongthe axis defined by bankings 6a and 16, so that the assembly ofthe tworings is maintained in a concentric position at the point Ol. As amatter of fact, long tooth 4a rests on banking 6a and maintains therings in a position away from the bankings. By contrast, tooth 5aopposite banking 16 is a short tooth, so that there is a space betweenthat tooth and the banking. During the course of the rotation of thefirst link, the trajectory ftravelled by point F will therefore passwithin toothing 5 without moving ring 3. The trajectory of nose 23, onthe other hand, and more particularly of its point E, is such that thisnose hooks into tooth 4a, so that the rotation of the first link turnsring 2 counterclockwise and brings the figure 4 up to window 29, whilering 3 remains stationary. Long tooth 4b comes to rest on banking 6a andmaintains the common center of the rings at point 01.

The operations go on in this fashion until long tooth 4fassumes theposition occupied by tooth 4a in FIG. 1. At that moment, the figure 8will be visible in the window, and the movement of nose 23 will againchange the outer ring so as to make the figure 9 appear in the window.At that moment, however, short tooth 4g will come opposite banking 6a,so that under the influence of the springs mentioned earlier, both ringswill move together, with their center coming to point 02. Tooth 5a andshort tooth 4g will then be si-.

multaneously in contact with their respective bankings.

This movement is a mixed one and can be broken down into a translatorymovement and a rotatory movement. These portions of rings 2 and 3 whichare situated on the longitudinal axis defined by bankings 6a and 16mainly go through a translation, the amplitude of which is equal to thedistance 01-02, but the position and the dimensions ofjumper 8 are sochosen that the movement undergone by the portions of rings 2 and 3which appear in window 29 is solely a rotation. Hence the movement ofthe date indication within the window is practically unnoticeable.

As will be seen later on, the device described makes it possible toprovide a relatively large space for the date indication, so that thewindow in the dial can be larger than the figures on the indicatingrings. This circumstance also contributes toward making the movementunnoticeable when the date 08" changes to the date 09. Incidentally,this movement also recurs upon the change of other dates, as will beseen below. When the first link has completed another revolution aroundits axis, the two noses 23 and 26 will therefore each hook into a toothof one of the rings, so that the two rings will rotate by one stepcounterclockwise, and 10 will appear in the window. At the same time,long tooth 4h will arrive opposite banking 6a, while short tooth 5b willbe opposite banking 16. The two rings together will move to resume thecenter position 01.

When the next change takes place, it will therefore be short tooth 41'which will come opposite banking 6a, so that the two rings will thenadvance simultaneously by one step, and the second figure l of ring 3will replace the first one in the window. After another 24 hours, tooth4j will arrive opposite banking 6a, and the rings will once more be inthe center position 01 Tooth 50 will then be opposite banking 16. Itwill be seen that in this manner, all the dates appear successively upto 29." At that moment, the position is the same as for the date 9,"i.e., the two rings each have a short tooth opposite their respectivebankings, and the center of the rings is at point 02. After 24 hours,the two rings move by one step, and the figure 30 appears in the window.However, when tooth 4h comes opposite banking 6a and brings the tworings back into an 01 center position, it is long tooth 5g which isopposite .ure

banking 16. After another 24 hours, the two noses 23 and 26 each hookinto the corresponding ring. The date 31 then appears in the window,this date being formed by the second figure 3 of ring 3 and the figl ofring 2. Short tooth 4i is opposite banking 6a, but contrary to whatusually happens in that case, the two rings do not move together becauselong tooth 5h has assumed the position opposite banking 16. Thus thereremains a space between banking 6a and the apex of tooth 4i, and after24 hours, nose 26 will hook into tooth 5h, while nose 23 will pass infront of tooth 4i. Hence the units digit 1 will remain visible in thewindow, whereas the tens digit will change from 3 to 60.,

Thus the mechanism automatically changes from the 3 [st to the lst. Thefirst short tooth 5a once more comes opposite banking 16, which entailsa translation of the center of the rings to 02, and 24 hours later, thetwo rings move, causing the date 02 to appear, formed by the secondfigure 0 of ring 3 and the figure 2 of ring 2. From then on, thesuccession of dates will once more appear up to the 31 st.

Summing up, it is seen that the correct date sequence is obtained owingto the fact that the combination of the long and short teeth facing thebankings can have the different values indicated in the table below.

In the left-hand column are indicated the teeth opposite each of thebankings, and in the right-hand column the rings which are driven:

Action of the 2nd link Both rings driven Inner ring driven Outer ringdriven Both rings drivcn Thus it can be seen that by using theproperties of a system of links, it has been possible to produce amechanism for moving the two rings forming the dateindicating device bymeans ofa single moving member represented by second link 21 which islinked, on the one hand, to driving wheel 17 which constitutes the firstlink of the system and, on the other hand, owing to an arc-shaped slit,to a fixed stud, this slit and stud simulating a third link revolvingaround fixed point M We claim:

1. Date-indicating device for a calendar timepiece comprising a support,a pair of concentric rings mounted for translatory and rotatory movementon said support, figures corresponding to the units of the date on oneof said rings, figures corresponding to the tens of the date on theother ring, a plane system of links comprising a first link rotatablymounted on said support and a second link jointed to said first link andarranged to effect a translating and rotating movement when said firstlink rotates around its rotating center, and a pair of driving elementsintegral with said second link, said first link being driven by saidtimepiece at a rate of one revolution every 24 hours, and each of saidelements being arranged to cooperate with one of said rings.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first link constitutes aportion of a wheel which is driven by the movement of said timepiece ata rate of one revolution every 24 hours.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second link is providedwith a slit having the shape of an arc of a circle, and said slitengages a fixed stud, said slit and said stud forming a sliding jointwhich simulates a third link.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said stud,

projects from said support, extends through said slit, and comprises apivot at its free end, a jumper being pivotally mounted about saidpivot.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner ring is providedwith the figures O, 0, l, l, 2, 2, 3, 3, in that order.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said inner ring toothingcomprises six short teeth and two long teeth, said teeth being regularlydistributed around the inner periphery of said ring, and the long teethbeing situated to correspond to the consecutive figures 0i.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outer ring comprises tenteeth regularly distributed along its outer periphery, said teethcomprising a first long tooth arranged between the figures 7 and 8, oneshort tooth on each side of said first long tooth, and seven other longteeth.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rings are supported inthe same plane, the outer one of said rings has an outwardly projectingtoothing, said inner one of said rings has an inwardly projectingtoothing, and each of said driving elements cooperates with one of saidtoothings.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a pair ofspring-loaded jumpers to hold each of said rings.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising bankings to limitthe translating displacements of said rings at a first and at a secondend position, each of said toothings comprising at least one long andone short tooth, and said teeth being arranged in such a manner thatwhen the rings are in the first end position,'

only the large teeth extend into the path of the driving ing elementseach engage a short tooth.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said bankings project fromsaid support and are situated on the same diameter with respect to saidrings, one of said bankings projecting inwardly of the ring assembly andthe other projecting outwardly thereof, the teeth and the bankings beingarranged in such a manner that said ring assembly is in a first endposition when a large tooth belonging to any one of the rings isdirected toward the corresponding banking and abuts same, whereas saidassembly is in the other one of said end positions when each ring has ashort tooth directed toward the corresponding banking and said teethcontact the corresponding bankings.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a resilientmember permanently urging said assembly against said bankings.

1. Date-indicating device for a calendar timepiece comprising a support,a pair of concentric rings mounted for translatory and rotatory movementon said support, figures corresponding to the units of the date on oneof said rings, figures corresponding to the tens of the date on theother ring, a plane system of links comprising a first link rotatablymounted on said support and a second link jointed to said first link andarranged to effect a translating and rotating movement when said firstlink rotates around its rotating center, and a pair of driving elementsintegral with said second link, said first link being driven by saidtimepiece at a rate of one revolution every 24 hours, and each of saidelements being arranged to cooperate with one of said rings.
 2. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the first link constitutes a portion of awheel which is driven by the movement of said timepiece at a rate of onerevolution every 24 hours.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid second link is provided with a slit having the shape of an arc of acircle, and said slit engages a fixed stud, said slit and said studforming a sliding joint which simulates a third link.
 4. A device asclaimed in claim 3, wherein said stud projects from said support,extends through said slit, and comprises a pivot at its free end, ajumper being pivotally mounted about said pivot.
 5. A device as claimedin claim 1, wherein the inner ring is provided with the figures 0, 0, 1,1, 2, 2, 3, 3, in that order.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid inner ring toothing comprises six short teeth and two long teeth,said teeth being regularly distributed around the inner periphery ofsaid ring, and the long teeth being situated to correspond to theconsecutive figures
 01. 7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein theouter ring comprises ten teeth regularly distributed along its outerperiphery, said teeth comprising a first long tooth arranged between thefigures 7 and 8, one short tooth on each side of said first long tooth,and seven other long teeth.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid rings are supported in the same plane, the outer one of said ringshas an outwardly projecting toothing, said inner one of said rings hasan inwardly projecting toothing, and each of said driving elementscooperates with one of said toothings.
 9. A device as claimed in claim8, further comprising a pair of spring-loaded jumpers to hold each ofsaid rings.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 8, further comprisingbankings to limit the translating displacements of said rings at a firstand at a second end position, each of said toothings comprising at leastone long and one short tooth, and said teeth being arranged in such amanner that when the rings are in the first end position, only the largeteeth extend into the path of the driving elements, whereas in thesecond end position said driving elements each engage a short tooth. 11.A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said bankings project from saidsupport and are situated on the same diameter with respect to saidrings, one of said bankings projecting inwardly of the ring assembly andthe other projecting outwardly thereof, the teeth and the bankings beingarranged in such a manner that said ring assembly is in a first endposition when a large tooth belonging to any one of the rings isdirected toward the corresponding banking and abuts same, whereas saidassembly is in the other one of said end positions when each ring has ashort tooth directed toward the corresponding banking and said teethcontact the corresponding bankings.
 12. A device as claimed in claim 11,further comprising a resilient member permanently urging said assemblyagainst said bankings.